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Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California 's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 population of 524,943 [7] makes it the fourth-most populous city in Northern California, sixth-most populous city in the state, and the ninth-most populous state capital in the United States.
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Sacramento County (/ ˌ s æ k r ə ˈ m ɛ n t oʊ / ⓘ) is a...
- List of People From Sacramento
This is a list of notable people from the U.S. city of...
- History of Sacramento, California
The history of Sacramento, California, began with its...
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Sacramento, city, capital of California, U.S., and seat (1850) of Sacramento county, in the north-central part of the state. It is situated in the Sacramento Valley (the northern portion of the vast Central Valley) along the Sacramento River at its confluence with the American River, about 90 miles (145 km) northeast of San Francisco and 45 miles (72 km) north of Stockton. The city site itself is flat, but the land gradually rises to the east on the approach to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The area experiences long, hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters with periodic foggy spells.
Sacramento, one of the state’s oldest incorporated communities, lies at the heart of a four-county metropolitan area. Suburbs—concentrated largely to the north and east of the city—include Citrus Heights, Folsom, Carmichael, North Highlands, and Roseville; other communities include Parkway (south) and West Sacramento (west). Inc. city, 1850. Area city, 99 square miles (256 square km). Pop. (2010) 466,488; Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville Metro Area, 2,149,127; (2020) 524,943; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom Metro Area, 2,397,382.
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Maidu peoples were early inhabitants of the region. In the 1770s the valley was visited by Spanish explorer Pedro Fages, who named the river for the Christian religious sacraments. German-born Swiss pioneer John Sutter established the colony of Nueva Helvetia (New Switzerland) in 1839 on the site, a Mexican land grant, and beginning in 1840 built a palisaded trading post known as Sutter’s Fort (now a state historic park). His community, initially populated by fellow Swiss immigrants, prospered as an agricultural centre and as a refuge for American pioneers until the 1849 Gold Rush. It was at a sawmill that Sutter was constructing, about 35 miles (55 km) northeast on the American River, near Coloma, that his chief carpenter, James W. Marshall, found the first gold on January 24, 1848. Hordes of prospectors pillaged Sutter’s property, and, deeply in debt, he deeded his lands to his son, who laid out the present city that year.
Profiting from the mining trade, Sacramento grew rapidly and was the scene of an armed squatter’s riot over the legality of Sutter’s grant. With a population of more than 10,000 in 1854, it was chosen the state capital. In its early decades Sacramento suffered several devastating floods and fires; subsequent measures (levees and masonry construction) alleviated these problems. A hub of river transportation since Sutter started a steamer service, Sacramento was the western terminus of the Pony Express and the first California railroad (1856; the Sacramento Valley Railroad to Folsom). More significantly, four Sacramento merchants—Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, Collis P. Huntington, and Leland Stanford—financed the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. Stretching eastward from the city, it completed the country’s first transcontinental rail link when it was joined to the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, in May 1869.
In 1862 the Central Pacific Railroad Central Shops were located in Sacramento, and they were until the 1950s the largest employer in the city, with employment peaking around 5,000 persons during World War II. The shops were one of the largest industrial sites west of the Mississippi River, and, until they closed in 1993, virtually every piece of Central (later Southern) Pacific rolling stock was either built or serviced in these shops. Today the 245-acre (100-hectare) site is one of the country’s largest urban infill projects, planned to accommodate a mixed-use development around a core of historic shop buildings, the oldest of which dates from 1869.
The Sacramento River was dredged in the early 20th century, which provided ships seasonal access to the sea; a newer canal, opened in 1963 to San Francisco Bay, made Sacramento a year-round deepwater port.
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Sacramento is the centre of the region’s extensive agricultural production—primarily dairy products, poultry, beef cattle, fruits and vegetables (especially grapes, pears, and tomatoes), wheat, rice, and corn (maize). The city’s traditional economic base of government and other services and agriculture has been expanded to include electronics manufacturing, computer software production, tourism, and the manufacture of metal products and scientific instruments. Other industries include food processing (especially almonds), printing and publishing, aerospace, and the manufacture of wood products. Sacramento has an international airport located just northwest of the city.
The Roman golden-domed Corinthian State Capitol (constructed 1860–74), in the heart of the city, is surrounded by 40 acres (15 hectares) of parkland and includes a museum. California State University, Sacramento, was established in 1947, Sacramento City College in 1916, American River College in 1955, and Cosumnes River College in 1970. Cultural institutions include professional ballet and opera companies and several music and theatre groups. Old Sacramento, the city’s revitalized historic district along the river, contains the California State Railroad Museum and a variety of shops and restaurants. The Delta King, a paddle-wheel steamboat, has been converted to a hotel moored at the riverfront. Nearby are the Crocker Art Museum and the Leland Stanford Mansion (1857), now a state historic park.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Order a FREE printed guide. Check out the online version of the guide or request one from our office by clicking here for a free printed guide, calling 916.808.7777, or mailing us at 1608 I St. Sacramento, CA 95814.
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- Step back in time in Old Sacramento… Looking like the set of a Western movie, Old Sacramento is a hodgepodge of Gold Rush-era buildings – some reconstructed but an impressive number are original.
- …and venture below the streets on an Underground Tour. On the surface, all seems normal on the streets of Old Sacramento, but the city’s original street level is actually about 10 feet below where you’re standing.
- Take a ride on the Sacramento River. The river that was so disastrous for 1850s Sacramento is now a tourist attraction in its own right, and you can board a boat to take in the city views.
- Admire art and architecture at the Crocker Art Museum. The oldest gallery west of the Mississippi, the Crocker Art Museum has an astounding assembly of work from across California, plus pieces from European masters and ceramics from around the world.
2. Crocker Art Museum. Diverse art collections span glass, porcelain, and California works within an original historic mansion, complete with a modern gallery and varied exhibitions. 3. Old Sacramento. Historic neighborhood with cobblestone streets and wooden boardwalks for river strolls, unique shopping, and dining.
Apr 12, 2024 · Kyle McCarthy|Sharael Kolberg December 4, 2023. Ranking of the top 12 things to do in Sacramento. Travelers favorites include #1 Capitol Park, #2 Crocker Art Museum and more.
A California Historic Park, Sutter’s Fort houses public tours and events that harken back to the days of the gold rush era. City Historic Cemetery. Adorned with beautiful statues, dramatic markers and lush gardens, Sacramento Historic City Cemetery is an outdoor museum recording California history from the Gold Rush Era through today.
